Wheeling Gull Isle Still you give yourself away

His throat tightened. His mother. She'd been his rock once, the one who had shown him the ways of God. Her voice still whispered psalms at night; he heard her in the recital of prayers. Though he sang hymns with his own tongue, her melodies were the ones that still led him.

Now her own faith, wavering.

He knew enough now to know there was nothing he could do to change that, and his heart reeled knowing the powerlessness of his own four paws.

The waves had crashed and broken; the sea had taken them all, in different ways - 

But perhaps, it had only tried.

I will pray for her most, he said.

They stood on the edge of everything he knew: the sands, the shoreline, the sea. Briny waters lapped up to their toes, and it was there they stopped, a man and a boy - no, a man and a man - stilled in reverent repose.

Yeah, Simeon nodded, yes, I - I would like that.

He fell quiet, but his thoughts drifted outwards, upwards. Faces passed through him, all those he had thought of in his wandering, all those he had already prayed for over and over again.

He breathed.

Father, he began, and the words poured out. A steady cadence, broken by pauses where he only breathed and thought of the simple words he'd spoken. For faith. Healing. Rest. For each one to know the love Simeon knew, though he'd hurt just as much as they had. For Dinah.

Malakai.

Judah.

Ava.

Ana.

Abel.

Tzedeq.

Everett.

John.

Mom. Be her light, be her vision, be her peace.

His throat clenched at the name he couldn't speak, but dad was already with Him, Simeon was sure, and he didn't need his prayers anymore. Once, he had doubted - but he knew now that grace still covered him even through the grave.

You are faithful. You've always been. And even if no one else follows, oh, please let them follow! Let them come back! Give them light - let them see, let them know, the world is cruel and unrelenting and unlike anything He ever wanted it to be - but He is good! A steady breath; He is good, and he leaned against John for the strength he offered and that reassurance he wasn't alone, if no one else follows, I promise, I'll follow you still.

@John sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth!! Summer work got me busy! Are you good if we continue & finish this? We can be vague with the ending but I loved this thread and would love to give it a proper ending, if we can! <3